Target Practice
by Tigerlily06
Summary: Horatio's overwhelming need to place himself in harm's way scares his lover. Horatio/Speed. Slash implied. No like, no read and no flame.
1. Chapter 1

Tim Speedle was an angry young man. The anger for once was not self-directed. It was directed at his lover. He couldn't understand the older man's need to constantly place himself in harm's way, and it scared him.

He loved Horatio more than he had ever loved anybody including Andrew. If he believed in the idea of soul mates, then he could honestly say that Horatio Caine was his.

He paced their living room trying to get a handle on his anger. He needed to talk with Horatio about the day's events, but he had to calm down so he could think straight. Horatio was very good at changing the subject when it became too painful for the redhead to bear. Tim had a strong feeling that this would be one of those painful subjects.

But the more Tim paced, the angrier he made himself. He grabbed the keys to his Ducati and stormed from the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

Horatio Caine lost himself in the sea of humanity as he walked away from the plaza and the scene of his latest heroic deed. Adrenaline still flowed through his veins and he still felt slightly giddy, but it wasn't everyday that he faced down a sniper.

Once he had calmed down enough to be the level-headed criminalist and police officer that everyone knew him to be, he returned to his Hummer and drove back to the crime lab. He went looking for his lover only to discover that Tim had left early.

He sighed. In the back of his mind, he had been hoping for a quickie in the supply closet before having to settle into the mountain of paperwork that lived on his desk.

The redhead walked down to the break room and made himself a cup of coffee. He had only taken a few sips from it when it was pulled from his grasp. He was going to growl at the person, but realized that it was Calleigh who had been so bold.

"Thank you, handsome," she told him as she handed the cup back after taking a few sips.

"You're welcome, I think," he remarked dryly. He could never deny Calleigh anything.

"Why are you here?" she inquired, studying him as he finished the cup off.

"Paperwork."

"That can wait," she informed him with a saucy grin. "You should be home relaxing. You have had a very eventful day."

He chuckled at that observation and conceded that Calleigh had a good point. The paperwork could wait. He needed to relax and one of his favorite ways was to spend a night making love to Tim.

"Go on, Horatio," the chipper blonde urged. "The case is solved and the bad guy is behind bars."

"Since you put it that way," he commented with a grin. "I think I will head home, but don't you stay too late."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she retorted, happily.

"Right," he replied with a subtle touch of sarcasm in his voice. He knew from experience Calleigh was as much of a workaholic as he had been.

He silently thanked his lover for changing that about him. He only stayed late if a case called for it and not because he didn't have anyone waiting at home for him.

He placed his cup in the sink and bid Calleigh a good night before going up to his office to retrieve his suit jacket and lock up for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Tim had slipped onto his bike and had ridden until he found himself back at the lab. It had been an unconscious decision. His heart and mind were in complete agreement for once.

He noticed Horatio's Hummer parked in front of the lab and made up his mind to confront his lover as he parked and dismounted his bike. He had numerous questions that needed to be answered.

_Why?_

It was the most pressing one playing continuously in his tired mind.

He ran up the stairs to Horatio's office ready to give the older man a piece of his mind only to find the office empty. With a thoughtful sigh, he went over to the windows that overlooked the parking lot and waited for Horatio.

It was only a few minutes before he heard Horatio enter the office, but in that time he had run thru the countless scenarios as to how the day could have ended badly and the pain just radiated from his chest.

Tim knew Horatio was alive and well, but the thought of losing his lover so soon after finding him made it difficult to breath. He could compare it to….

_A blind man finally getting sight, but only to lose it again…_

_A thirsty man being given a sip of water only to have the rest of the glass poured out in front of him…._

_A hungry man being given a morsel to eat only to have the rest of the meal devoured in front of him…_

_A homeless man being given a nice home only to be kicked out of it…_

Horatio was Tim's solace; his sanctuary; his home. To lose him because someone asshole had a grudge against people being happy was too much to bear, and the brunette felt his ire reignited.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Horatio walked into his office concentrating on how he and Tim could spend the evening relaxing. A familiar scent pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Tim standing by the windows of his office silhouetted by the Miami skyline.

He paused in the doorway and studied his scruffy lover in the fading sunlight.

He was surprised to see Tim since Paula had told him that the younger man had left earlier. He was coming to realize how important Tim was to him.

His heart leapt into his throat at the sight Tim presented, because to him Timothy Speedle was beautiful. Tim was the dark to his light; was the cool to his hot; completed him in a way that no one ever had before.

He could tell that Tim was lost in thought and not wanting to scare him, Horatio clear his throat and gently inquired, "Tim?"

He watched the brunette turn around and nail him with a fierce glare. Soulful brown eyes dark with repressed anger bore into his cool blue ones.

Horatio had to admit that he knew he was in trouble with Tim, but to what extent he hadn't much of a clue.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Tim felt the anger flare in his chest and he had to take a deep breath before he could speak. The need to lash out and hurt Horatio was very strong, but he refused to give into it.

He watched the older man walk into the room marveling at the amount of lust that filled his soul despite the anger that was coursing through his veins.

Horatio was sex on legs. This made it difficult for Tim to focus on the reason why he was back at the lab. He had questions that needed to be answered, so he locked away his desire to jump his lover.

"Answer me one question, Horatio," he said breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Why do you feel the need to put yourself in the path of danger?"

"It's my job. It's what I do," Horatio automatically replied.

"I want a real answer, Horatio," Tim stipulated in a cool tone as he closed the distance between him and the redhead. "Not made up excuses that ease your conscience."

"Excuse me," Horatio growled in barely concealed annoyance. He didn't mind being questioned, but Tim's tone suggested that the younger man was barely holding back the urge to interrogate him

. "Where is this coming from?"

"I want the truth, and not what you perceive as the truth," Tim countered, unafraid of Horatio's annoyance.

"Because it is what I have always done, Tim," Horatio answered, honestly. "Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail, but I won't stop trying to protect the innocent."

Tim worried his bottom lip and studied the older man. He noticed for the first time since turning to face Horatio how tired the other man appeared. Deep lines were etched in Horatio's forehead. The redhead's normally bright, blue eyes were dull with fatigue and a hint of pain dwelled in their depths.

He knew Horatio hadn't been sleeping well since the beginning of the case. He wanted to reach out and comfort the older man, but his fear of losing Horatio held him back.

"I understand that," he informed Horatio. Horatio's desire to protect the innocent was one reason Tim had allowed himself to fall under the redhead's spell. "I really do, but it scares me when you put your life on the line like that. We just started this relationship. I don't want to lose you, Horatio. I don't think I could stand to lose you."

"I'm sorry I scared you, Tim," Horatio said softly. "It was never my intention to do so, but the situation demanded that somebody had to be the bait and I couldn't let anyone else do that."

Tim nodded and let Horatio pull him into a light embrace. They were careful not to flaunt their relationship at the lab, because it would lead to questions that neither man cared to answer.

Horatio placed a soft kiss on Tim's forehead and let him go. He studied the younger man and saw in his brown eyes that he had more questions.

"What assurance from me do you need that will ease your fears?" he quietly asked.

"You never answer my original question," Tim told him.

"Didn't I?"

"You told me why, but you never really explained your _need_ to be everyone's protector," Tim explained, putting emphasis on the word need. He had the sudden feeling that he was treading on foreign ground since they rarely discussed their pasts. "Is it some kind of penance for a horrible sin you've committed in the past?"

Horatio felt the breath catch in his throat and he wondered how the brunette was able to see into his soul. He tore his gaze from Tim's as his concern for the other man was replaced with guilt.

Survivor's guilt is what his current therapist called it. He had survived a traumatic childhood, the death of his mother at the hands of his bastard father and losing his brother to the trials and tribulations of undercover police work.

He was tired of feeling guilty; tired of paying a penance for something he couldn't change no matter how he tried.

"The sin of being born the son of an abusive man," he whispered around the sudden lump in his throat.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

"The sin of being born the son of an abusive man," hit Tim so hard that it felt like Horatio had punched him in the stomach.

He staggered back a few steps almost doubling over from the pain. He had to place a hand on Horatio's desk to steady himself. He took a shaky breath as he fought to regain his composure.

This conversation had taken on a life of its own, and in doing so inflicted a harm that wouldn't be easily fixed.

Tim silently cursed his mercurial temper for causing the soul searing pain he saw in Horatio's face before the redhead had dipped his head to study his fingertips.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you."

The silence was unbearable as he waited for Horatio to speak. Horatio pulled his eyes from his fingers and merely nodded his acceptance of Tim's apology.

Tim watched the older man snag his suit jacket off the back of his chair and walk from the room.

"Timothy Speedle, you are without a doubt a first class idiot," he muttered under his breath. His fear of losing Horatio may have caused that very thing to come to fruition.

The brunette thumped the desk as he debated with himself about going after his lover. He could follow Horatio and they could end up in a heated argument or he could wait and go find Horatio after the redhead had regained control of himself.

He decided on the latter. He sat down at Horatio's desk to shut down the computer his lover rarely used when a crazy idea struck him. He grabbed a Post-it-Note and wrote _"I Love You"_ in bold letters. He removed the mountain of paperwork from Horatio's in-box and taped his note to the tray.

So, the next time his lover finished slaying all of his paper dragons the redhead would have a visual reminder of Tim's love for him.

Tim laughed at himself as he replaced the stack of files. The note was pure fluff. It was silly and romantic. It was perfect.

He locked and closed the door behind him. He jogged down the stairs and out into the late afternoon sun not feeling as conflicted as he had an hour before.

He straddled his bike and slipped on his sunglasses. He pulled out of the parking lot heading for the beach and his lover.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

Horatio stepped out of the lab pausing at the door to let his tired eyes adjust to the bright, late afternoon sunlight. The sun bathed the building in warmth, but Horatio couldn't feel it as he fought the memories that were crowding around the inside of his head.

The redhead would have donned his sunglasses but he had left them sitting on the dashboard of his Hummer. A foolish mistake because he didn't need anyone seeing the turmoil that brew like a sudden Miami thunderstorm in his eyes.

He strode down the steps with his suit jacket crunched in one lean fingered hand evidence of the internal battle he was waging for his very soul. Bile from his churning stomach rose in his throat and he was forced to swallow several times to keep from becoming physically ill.

He reached his Hummer and jerked open the door his desire for sanctuary paramount. He tossed his suit jacket inside and slid into the driver's seat quickly pulling the door shut. He hastily grabbed his sunglasses from the dash but only succeeded in knocking to the floor.

With an annoyed sigh, Horatio leaned his head back and closed his eyes muttering, "Smooth move, Caine."

His mind took advantage of this lapse of vigilance and the memories broke free…

**Flashback**

"Still can't do nothing right can you, boy?" snarled the angry voice of Michael Caine. "Can't answer a simple question, can you?"

The open-handed slap landed before Horatio had a chance to avoid it. It made his ears ring and brought tears to the corners of his eyes. He wouldn't cry. He had vowed to never give his father that kind of satisfaction.

He held very still as his father continued to rant and rave. He knew not to move or speak. He had learned the hard way.

"Answer me, boy!" The stinking breath in his face made Horatio want to gag. But, he fought it. He would show no weaknesses in front of his father.

"Sir?" he whispered with his eyes downcast like a slave.

"Where is that worthless excuse of a woman you call a mother at?"

"Aunt Angie took her to the hospital."

"What the fuck for now?!" Michael Caine stalked around his son trying to intimidate the gangly youth. "Woman is a fucking hypochondriac!"

Horatio's temper flared. His head came up and he growled, "She went into labor this morning, you fucking asshole!"

This time the blow was from a closed fist and it knocked Horatio to the floor. He instinctively curled into a ball as his father raised his foot.

"Michael!" snapped an authoritative voice. "Stop this nonsense immediately!"

Horatio breathed a sigh of relief as his father turned to face his brother, Father Thomas Caine.

"Christ! What do you want from me now, Tommy?!"

"May God forgive you," Father Caine retorted. "He has seen fit to give you another son and what do I find here, you beating Horatio for no reason at all."

"He sassed me," Michael Caine tried to justify his actions. "He's his mother's son."

"In that case, he will be a good man one day," Father Caine reasoned. He prayed that God would forgive him his need to needle his younger brother. "Now, come along and meet your new son."

Horatio didn't uncurl until his father had stalked from the house muttering about another mouth to feed. He let his uncle help him to his feet.

"Thank you, Uncle Thomas," he said with his eyes downcast once more.

"Horatio," his uncle said quietly. He placed a hand under Horatio's chin and made him look up. "I have great faith in you."

"Why, sir?"

"Because you have been given a blessed mission," the priest told him. "You will be a protector of the innocent, a defender of the weak and the voice for those who can not speak for themselves."

Horatio shook his head. He didn't want that mission and he had given up on God.

_Why should he believe in someone who allowed his father to continuously abuse him and his mother._

He would never tell that to his uncle or mother. They needed something to cling to as the world they knew went to hell in a hand basket.

"Can we go see my brother now?"

**end of Flashback**

A knock on the window brought Horatio back to the present. He rolled down the window and smiled at Adele.

"Something I can do for you?"

"Are you feeling alright, Horatio?" Adele gently inquired. Her concern for him was clearly visible on her face.

"My body decided it had had too much excitement today," the redhead replied. "It's not everyday that I play cat and mouse with a sniper."

Adele chuckled. "I think you had half the officers on the scene shaking in their shoes and the other have praying for your soul."

Horatio snorted in self-derision. "Let's hope my uncle doesn't get wind of it or I'll never hear the end of it."

"True," Adele concurred. She had met the Archbishop of the New York diocese once and suddenly understood where Horatio got his determination and desire to help others from. "So why are you still here?"

"I thought I catch a combat nap as I waited for Tim to finish some paperwork."

"I see." Adele knew about Horatio and Tim's relationship and was alright with it. She, also, knew when Horatio was lying, and he was lying through his teeth at this moment in time. She wouldn't call him on it, because it would lead to an argument and a strained working relationship. "Well, you try and have a good evening, Horatio."

"I'll try."

The redhead watched the Latino detective walk away knowing that Adele would corner him in the next few days and demand to know why he had lied to her. He would tell her and hope she wouldn't hate him for lying to her in the first place.

With a shake of his head, he picked up his sunglasses and slipped them on. He started the vehicle and backed out of his parking place. He pulled into the early evening traffic intent on reaching his private stretch of beach where he could breakdown and no one would be the wiser.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

Tim parked his bike next to Horatio's Hummer. The yellow of his Ducati complimented the sand color of the Hummer not unlike his dark looks complimented Horatio's lighter ones.

He smiled at the simple analogy.

He studied the Hummer as the setting sun bathed it in an orangish glow.

To him, it was the perfect example of his lover's personality. Its outward appearance exuded a calm strength while the interior screamed organized chaos. If he was a betting man, Tim would lay odds that there was probably sitting on the backseat an evidence bag doing double duty as a trash bag.

He settled the Ducati on its kickstand and slid off to stand next to it as he scanned the beach looking for a sign of the redhead. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of reddish-gold as the evening breeze blew through Horatio's hair.

The brunette made his way down the beach careful of the shifting sand. His boots were good for riding his bike and comfortable to wear for work, but they weren't meant to trod sand.

He paused in his journey a few steps behind his lover and studied the older man. What he saw broke his heart and made him want to kick himself.

&/&/&

The tide was coming in and the water lapped at the tips of Horatio's dress shoes, but the redhead was oblivious to it. He stood with his head bowed and his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He rocked on his feet as he silently sobbed his heart out.

His lover's unintentional comment had brought to mind what day it was. It was the anniversary of his mother's tragic death.

Some days he still couldn't believe she was gone because he could feel her presence as he went about his life and other days, like today, he acutely felt the loss.

He shivered as the ocean breeze blew messing up his hair. It was colder at the edge of the beach and in his chaotic mental state he had forgotten his suit jacket in the Hummer.

&/&/&

Tim saw the shiver run through his lover's body and it gave him the impetus to move. He cautiously slipped his arms around Horatio's waist. "It's alright," he whispered in Horatio's ear as he felt Horatio start. "It's only me and I've got you."

The younger man heard Horatio sigh his name. He smiled as he felt his lover relax against his body; even snuggle a bit as he tried to draw warmth from Tim's body.

&/&/&

Horatio leaned against his lover drawing strength and warmth from the younger man. His tears finally stopped, but his head began to throb and he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.

It had been a long day and even longer week with him only getting a few hours of sleep a night.

He turned in Tim's embrace and placed a chaste kiss on the younger man's lips.

"Let's go home," he said.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

Horatio wasn't a man to show affection in public. He only did so when words failed him, but as he strolled up the beach with Tim at his side their hands were entwined. The redhead needed the reassurance that his lover wouldn't desert him because he admitted to being damaged goods.

They paused at the Hummer.

Horatio yawned. "I don't think I have the energy to drive home."

"Is that a carefully veiled ploy to get me to drive us to the Delano where I can spend the night making mad, passionate love to you?" Tim gently teased.

"Maybe," Horatio said with a smirk, "or maybe not." The emotional storm had abated and now he found himself wanting to be held and cherished.

"I have a better idea," Tim countered.

"Oh?"

"I take you home, make you dinner and slowly drive you crazy in bed."

"Sounds divine to me."

"Then grab your jacket," Tim directed with a soft note in his gravely voice. "We can pick up the Hummer in the morning."

Horatio nodded and did as he had been ordered.

&/&/&

With the Hummer locked up for the night, Horatio joined his lover on the Ducati. He wrapped his arms around Tim's slender waist his hands sliding inside the denim jacket the brunette wore to ward off the evening chill.

"I love you," Horatio told the younger man as his hands moved up Tim's chest.

"No taunting of the driver," he told the redhead as he felt Horatio's hands on his chest.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Horatio purred in Tim's ear.

Tim sighed. He wasn't sure what to make of the sudden change in Horatio's mood, but counted himself lucky to still be the object of the redhead's desire.

He started the Ducati and then drove them home taking the scenic route. He was going to make good on his plans for the evening. And, by the time he was through Horatio Caine would know how much the younger man loved him.

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

"What would you like to have for dinner?" Tim asked his lover as Horatio settled into his battered, leather recliner with a soft groan.

"I'm really not hungry," Horatio replied, "at least not for food."

Tim smiled mischievously. He loved the disheveled look the redhead was sporting. Having Horatio so close to him as they flew through the city had inflamed his senses. It had been all he could do not to take the older man against the wall the moment they had stepped into their apartment.

"I know what you're hungry for," the brunette observed with a husky quality to his voice. He placed a hand on the arm of the recliner and leaned down to brush the hair from Horatio's forehead. He placed a light kiss on the furrowed brow. "All I can say is that patience is a virtue."

"So, I've heard," the redhead countered. He grasped Tim's wrist and with a tug pulled the younger man onto his lap. "But, I'm not a patient man."

Horatio ghosted his lips over Tim's soft ones. He nipped at the brunette's lower one causing him to open his mouth to allow Horatio's tongue to dive inside.

Tim moaned the redhead's name as their tongues dueled. Desire washed over him and he decided to let the older man have his way. They would talk about things later.

Horatio felt his lover slide his arms around his neck. He moaned as he felt Tim entwine his slender fingers into his hair and deepen the kiss. He pulled the younger man closer desperate for the warmth his lover exuded.

Tim's last coherent thought was that he had never had anyone make him feel safe and cherished like Horatio did.

Horatio was the other half of Tim's soul….

His everything…..

His home.

TBC…


	11. Chapter 11

Hands found buttons and zippers. Flesh was exposed and worshiped until both men were consumed by their desire for one another.

Tim fell from the heights of glory first. It was a dizzying ride made all the better by the man who caught him in the end.

The brunette smiled as he snuggled close to his lover. His head rested on Horatio's chest as the redhead stroked his back. Horatio's heartbeat was a soothing staccato in his ear.

_Who knew that the straight-laced CSI Lieutenant liked to cuddle after sex._

&/&/&

"I don't know about you," Horatio whispered into Tim's dark curls. "But, I think we should take this some place more comfortable."

Tim raised his head and looked the older man in the eye. "Feeling your age today, Blue?" he teased.

Horatio growled deep in his throat and without warning dumped the younger man onto the floor.

Tim landed on his side with a mild curse. "That's gonna leave a bruise."

Horatio smirked. "Serves you right."

Tim pouted.

The redhead sighed. Every time his lover pouted, Horatio felt his willpower desert him. He believed it had something to do with how Tim's lower lip stuck out. All he wanted to do was nibble on it until the younger man was a mass of shuddering emotions.

He loved Tim with everything that he was, and some days he had to wonder if that would ever be enough. With a silent vow to always cherish his young lover, he straightened his clothes. He stood up and held out his hand to the brunette.

"I could kiss and make it feel better," he suggested with a throaty purr.

At the thought of Horatio's lips kissing his bruised hip, Tim felt a wave of intense longing wash over his body causing him to grow hard again.

"Please," Tim breathed.

"With pleasure."

&/&/&

Horatio lead Tim on a tortuous journey down the hallway to their bedroom. He stopped every few steps to kiss, caress and undress the younger man until Tim groaned in frustration.

"Horatio…"

"Sssh…" Horatio soothed as he pushed Tim onto their bed. He stepped back and admired the younger man. Tim looked devastingly beautiful spread out on the hunter green comforter longing to be ravished.

Horatio hurriedly undressed as his need for Tim almost slipped the chains of his iron control. He joined Tim on the bed. He ran his hands over the brunette's chest and down the firm stomach luxuriating in the feel of his lover's skin. "I need to do this right. I need to fix things between us."

Tim caught the redhead's hands stopping the torture. "There is nothing to fix, Horatio. You just scared the hell out of me. I got angry and lashed out."

"I'm sorry."

Tim studied his lover's freckled and long-fingered hands. He unconsciously worried at his bottom lip as he thought about the things that those hands were capable of doing. He had seen them pat a coworker on the back for a job well done, cuff a fleeing suspect, fiddle with the always present sunglasses, process evidence and gently caress his face as Horatio made love to him.

"Tim?"

The younger man looked up. He saw longing mixed with sorrow in Horatio's deep blue eyes. "Tonight, I want you," he sighed. "Tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow, I'll give you the answers to your questions," Horatio promised as he easily extracted his hands from Tim's grasp.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

Horatio held his lover enjoying the feel of the brunette in his arms as sleep claimed the younger man. It had been awhile since he had just lain in their bed and watched Tim sleep.

He knew that he had no one but himself to blame for it, but knowing it and acknowledging it were two different things.

He sighed before he cautiously untangled himself from Tim's embrace. He should be sleeping since he certainly was exhausted, but the horrors that awaited him the moment he closed his eyes kept him wide awake.

Horatio padded into the bathroom and took a shower thinking he would go into work early and get a head start on the paperwork that he had avoided for most of the week. He liked being in charge of the crime lab most days because it was on the cutting edge of technology being used to solve crimes, but the bureaucratic side of the job just wore on his nerves.

He returned to the bedroom with a towel loosely wrapped around his waist and drying his hair with another one when Tim started to mumble and stir in his sleep. The redhead perched on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through Tim's dark curls as he whispered words of comfort.

It was ironic that he could deal with Tim's nightmares better than his own.

Horatio soothed the younger man until Tim slipped back into a deep sleep. This made him reconsider going into work. He promised Tim answers and he knew very well what emotional state he would be in once he revealed his past to his lover.

He stood up and grabbed some clothes from the dresser. He threw them on and left the room thus removing himself from the temptation of returning to bed.

&/&/&

Horatio walked into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. He sipped on a cup and glanced at the clock. It read 4:30 am and he debated about calling and waking Calleigh up, but decided it was safer to deal with her wrath sooner than later.

He headed down the hall and entered his study. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the smell of the stale air. It had been a few weeks since he had been in there, so he opened a window to air it out.

He settled into his desk chair with a tired sigh and booted up the computer. He reached for the phone and dialed Calleigh's number.

"Duquesne," she answered brightly.

"Calleigh."

"Morning, handsome."

"You are entirely too chipper this early in the day," he casually remarked. He scrolled through his backlog of emails and silently groaned. He needed to clean out his inbox and actually work on his Master thesis or get another extension.

Calleigh laughed. "What do you need, Horatio?"

"Think you can keep the kids from destroying the lab for a day?"

"Is that your way of telling me you're going to take the day off?"

"I am," Horatio confirmed her suspicion.

"Good."

"Good?"

"You need to start taking better care of yourself, Horatio," she firmly told him.

"I know," he said trying to put off another lecture.

"Knowing and doing are two different critters as my grandma use to say."

Horatio chuckled. He could always count on Calleigh to lighten his mood. "That is a unique turn of phrase."

"That may well be, but you know what I'm trying to get across," Calleigh reasoned.

"Yes, I do," the redhead conceded. "If you need me, I'll be home."

"Don't over do the relaxing," she teased.

"I'll try not to."

"Right. Have a good day, Horatio."

"You too, Calleigh."

Horatio ended the call and turned his attention back to the research he had collected for his thesis.

&/&/&

Tim woke when a stray sunbeam shined in his face. It had slipped into the room from under the hastily drawn shade.

He tried to get away from it by burying his face into his lover's shoulder only to come in contact with a cold sheet. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

A cold sheet meant one of two things.

Horatio either had gone for a run because he had had a bad dream or he had gone to work and had let the brunette to sleep in since he knew Tim was on call.

Tim hoped it was the former, but knew from experience that it probably was the later. He had fallen asleep in the redhead's arms, but that didn't mean Horatio had followed him into dreamland.

He grumbled as he kicked the covers off and slowly sat up. He was a tiny bit sore from their intense love making, but it was a good kind of sore. He belonged to Horatio and he had made certain that Horatio knew who he belonged to as well.

The redhead would be forced to wear his dress shirts buttoned for a few days to keep the brunette's mark hidden from prying eyes.

Tim smirked at the memory of the other marks he had left on Horatio's freckled body.

The ringing phone broke into his memories of the night before. He grabbed it on the third ring silently praying that he wasn't being called in.

"Hello," he said with a slight slur. He was still waking up.

"Sugar," came the velvet tones of Alexx Woods. "Why did Horatio call off today?"

"Huh?" Tim rolled out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans from the dresser.

"You didn't know?"

"Alexx, I just woke up, so I'm a little in the dark here," Tim replied as he cradled the phone against his shoulder as he pulled on the jeans. "Horatio did what again?"

"Horatio called Calleigh around five this morning and told her he wasn't coming in, but that if she needed him she could reach him at home," Alexx explained. "You two are alright? You didn't have an argument, did you?"

Tim smiled. _Leave it to Alexx to see through appearances,_ he thought.

"We are doing fine," he hedged. It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't an out right lie either.

"Then you must have worn him out last night," Alexx surmised with a wicked chuckle. She had been the first one he had confided in about his feelings for Horatio, and it had been Alexx who had made him act on those feelings.

"I'm not answering that."

"Why not?"

"I'm not discussing my sex life with you."

"I'm your adopted mother, Sugar," the dark skinned M.E. said. "Who else can you discuss your sex life with?"

"That's why I'm not discussing it with you…Mom."

"Alright, Sugar," Alexx acquiesced. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."

"I'll call when I figure out what is going on with Horatio," Tim said. He grabbed one of Horatio's shirts and slipped it on. "Don't want you to die of curiosity."

"Timothy James Speedle!" Alexx mock growled.

"I love you, too, Mom."

"Have a good day, Tim, and do call," Alexx requested. "Horatio's feats of death-defying stupidity are giving me gray hairs."

"You aren't the only one," the brunette retorted. "I'll call. I promise."

Tim hung up the phone and went in search of his elusive lover.

&/&/&

Tim leaned in the doorway of the study and watched Horatio sleep. The redhead had his chin resting on his chest. Every so often a gentle snore would cause it to rise and then fall down again.

The brunette smiled at the sound. He loved to tease his lover about his snoring knowing that Horatio would argue that he didn't snore. It was one of those things that reminded Tim how much a part of his life Horatio had become.

He could have stayed watching Horatio sleep indefinitely, but a strangled sob from the redhead brought Tim out of his day dream. He watched Horatio jerk awake with a frightened gasp.

Not even thinking about it, Tim left his post and wrapped his arms around his shaking lover. He held him tight whispering soothing words in Horatio's ear.

Once he calmed down Horatio tried to pull away and erect the walls that protected him, but Tim wasn't going to let him do that this time. "No, Horatio," he quietly told the older man. "We are going over to the love seat, sit down and talk. No more hiding."

Horatio nodded.

They sat on the love seat with Horatio resting his aching head in the younger man's lap. Tim stroked Horatio's hair enjoying the silky feel of it.

"This is some what Freudian, ya know?" Horatio quipped, his New York accent making it sound funnier than it really was.

Tim didn't rise to the bait. "Be that as it may," he remarked. "A burden shared is halved."

"Have you been taking language lessons from Calleigh?"

"Huh?"

Horatio smirked. "Calleigh said something similar earlier."

Tim thought for a second and chuckled. "Well, I've found that it pays to listen to Calleigh."

Horatio sighed. He knew it was his time of reckoning, but was suddenly afraid that Tim would hate him for what he was going to reveal about himself. "Do you really want to share this burden with me, Tim?"

"I love you, Horatio," Tim said. "And that means I'm willing to share everything with you."

"Alright," Horatio murmured. "You asked for it."

Horatio sat up. As much as he appreciated Tim's comforting him, it was distracting him from what he needed to do. "I guess from yesterday's display that you figured out that I didn't have a very pleasant childhood," he began.

Tim nodded.

"My parents should have never been parents. They were still kids when I came along. In fact, my mother told me that she married my father to get away from her controlling mother. Not an auspicious start to a marriage."

The brunette reached out and took Horatio's hand in his. He gave it a gentle squeeze to encourage the older man to continue his story.

"God rest her soul, but my mother tried. She just never got a fair break. My father went from being a sincere young man to an absolute bastard over night. He was a horrible drunk and that's when the beatings would start," came out as a harsh whisper.

Horatio took a ragged breath. Recalling this was hard, and he really didn't want to burden Tim with it. It was his sin to bear.

Tim felt the tension in Horatio's body. He could tell Horatio was debating with himself about whether he should reveal more of his past or just bottle it up inside and let it eat him alive.

Tim gently cupped his lover's cheek. "I love you, Horatio," he softly declared. "All of you."

"I love you, Tim." Horatio locked eyes with Tim's and knew that he could tell Tim everything about the darkness he carried around because Tim was his light; his future.

Fin


End file.
